Berkeley Chess School

The Berkeley Chess School offers chess classes, camps, and tournaments, including Friday Night Chess classes, Sunday Morning Chess for Youngsters, the BCS All Girls Chess Class (Queens), BCS Spring Camp, and weekly chess tournaments. Students can take part in K-12 Quads such as Walnut Creek K-12 Quads, BCS K-12 Quads, and Pleasanton Quads, as well as all-girls tournaments. The program also includes Adult Chess, Adult Tournaments, and Adult Chess Classes, along with special events like a free event with IM John Donaldson and a free event with Chess.com co-founder IM Danny Rensch for a talk and book signing for his memoir “Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life.”

• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Friday Night Chess classes are 60 minutes from 5:30–6:30 p.m., followed by an optional USCF-rated tournament from 6:30–7:30 p.m. (with a Berkeley program from 4:30–6:30), and additional seasonal offerings such as Sunday Morning Chess for Youngsters and the BCS All Girls Chess Class (Queens), plus monthly and weekly K–12 Quads during the spring.
• Price: Sign up by the midnight of the Sunday before the first class to qualify for Early Bird (reduced) tuition.

Since 1982, the Berkeley Chess School has enriched the lives of thousands of Bay Area children. Its mission states that it teaches all children and tries to produce better citizens. The Berkeley Chess School offers chess instruction to K–12 students in over 150 schools throughout the Bay Area and offers after-school classes as well as chess in the classroom during the school day.

The Berkeley Chess School has been recognized as the Best After-School Program in the East Bay according to Diablo Magazine. Its chess programs are described as being for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of all ages, providing rigorous training in chess while making the process fun, with skilled and engaging instructors and an eye toward personal growth. BCS holds weekly chess tournaments during the academic school year and camp programs, including an all-girls tournament, and also facilitates students’ participation in annual statewide competitions.

According to the program’s facts, over 500 competitors take part in tournaments, weekly competitions draw more than 200 players, and up to 80 BCS students attend statewide competitions attracting over 1,500 competitors. The program notes that tournaments provide the motivation that encourages students to master their games, develop focus and concentration, celebrate wins, learn from losses, and build confidence in their abilities, and that many participants say tournaments are their favorite aspect because they can test and showcase their skills in front of teachers, peers, and parents.

Parent testimonials describe children choosing to extend their time at chess camp from one week to two, and a busy 6-year-old staying engaged for a full week of camp after an initially short trial. Other parents report that their children walked away with skills they can use for a lifetime and that tournament experiences were marvelous, leaving their children more excited and determined about playing chess.

Last updated March 16, 2026.